The X-men run missions and work together with the NYPD, striving to maintain a peaceful balance between humans and mutants. When it comes to a fight, they won't back down from protecting those who need their help.
Haven presents itself as a humanitarian organization for activists, leaders, and high society, yet mutants are the secret leaders working to protect and serve their kind. Behind the scenes they bring their goals into reality.
From the time when mutants became known to the world, SUPER was founded as a black-ops division of the CIA in an attempt to classify, observe, and learn more about this new and rising threat.
The Syndicate works to help bring mutantkind to the forefront of the world. They work from the shadows, a beacon of hope for mutants, but a bane to mankind. With their guiding hand, humanity will finally find extinction.
Since the existence of mutants was first revealed in the nineties, the world has become a changed place. Whether they're genetic misfits or the next stage in humanity's evolution, there's no denying their growing numbers, especially in hubs like New York City. The NYPD has a division devoted to mutant related crimes. Super-powered vigilantes help to maintain the peace. Those who style themselves as Homo Superior work to tear society apart for rebuilding in their own image.
MRO is an intermediate to advanced writing level original character, original plot X-Men RPG. We've been open and active since October of 2005. You can play as a mutant, human, or Adapted— one of the rare humans who nullify mutant powers by their very existence. Goodies, baddies, and neutrals are all welcome.
Short Term Plots:Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
The Fountain of Youth
A chemical serum has been released that's shaving a few years off of the population. In some cases, found to be temporary, and in others...?
MRO MOVES WITH CURRENT TIME: What month and year it is now in real life, it's the same for MRO, too.
Fuegogrande: "Fuegogrande" player of The Ranger, Ion, Rhia, and Null
Neopolitan: "Aly" player of Rebecca Grey, Stephanie Graves, Marisol Cervantes, Vanessa Bookman, Chrysanthemum Van Hart, Sabine Sang, Eupraxia
Ongoing Plots
Magic and Mystics
After the events of the 2020 Harvest Moon and the following Winter Solstice, magic has started manifesting in the MROvere! With the efforts of the Welldrinker Cult, people are being converted into Mystics, a species of people genetically disposed to be great conduits for magical energy.
The Pharoah Dynasty
An ancient sorceress is on a quest to bring her long-lost warrior-king to the modern era in a bid for global domination. Can the heroes of the modern world stop her before all is lost?
Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
Adapteds
What if the human race began to adapt to the mutant threat? What if the human race changed ever so subtly... without the x-gene.
Atlanteans
The lost city of Atlantis has been found! Refugees from this undersea mutant dystopia have started to filter in to New York as citizens and businessfolk. You may make one as a player character of run into one on the street.
Got a plot in mind?
MRO plots are player-created the Mods facilitate and organize the big ones, but we get the ideas from you. Do you have a plot in mind, and want to know whether it needs Mod approval? Check out our plot guidelines.
Watching Calley’s feline form dart out of the kitchen as little more than a black and white blur Zephyr found his estimation of the animal shifter rising a few notches. Normally the boy had all the survival instincts of a lemming faced with a cliff, it was… refreshing not to mention satisfying, to see the youth take a threat seriously.
Making a mental note of the scene for the next time the shifter inevitably irritated him Zephyr found his thoughts momentarily waylaid by a feeble hiss of outrage somewhere in the vicinity of his ankles and when he glanced down he couldn’t quite stop the smug smirk which tugged at his lips as he saw the Lilliputian kitten which had crawled out from the remnants of Isabel’s clothes.
‘What’s the matter Duskmoor, cat got your tongue?’
"I believe I understand what just happened but...is this kitten who I think it is?”
“If you believe it’s our dear Ms. Duskmoor then yes.” Zephyr stated with no small amount of amusement, never taking his eyes off Isabel as he reached down to grasp her by the snuff of her neck. The last thing he needed was for the soubrette to find her feet and dash off to get lost somewhere in the mansion.
“...that's a neat trick. Remind me to stay away from that cat."
“I doubt you have anything to worry about.” Zephyr response was almost absent minded as he batted away Isabel’s clumsy attempts to maul his questing hand. “The shifter in question isn’t one for fights and prefers to stay under the radar; leave him be and he’ll likely grant you the same courtesy. Duskmoor’s reputation simply preceded her.”
Finally finding purchase in the kittens fur Zephyr hauled Isabel hauled Isabel’s upwards until they were both at eye level but beyond the range of her paws. Her hissing continued unabated for a few moments until the hessian grew bored with routine and he gave her a slight but noticeable shake. “Enough of that.” He told her with a resigned yet stern air. “Behave. If you’re good I’ll see to it that you have something to wear when you change, otherwise…”
He glanced briefly from his audience to the pile of clothes at his feet and back again as the idea unfolded. It was entirely jejune and completely unproductive but that didn’t make it any less appealing. “Otherwise, the mansion will find it has a new flag made out of what little attire you have left, am I understood?”
When the kitten remained petulantly silent Zephyr nodded to himself before perching Isabel on his left shoulder and standing as he turned to face Forte. “Now, where were we?”
Healing was one of the few aspects of his power that hadn’t come easily to Zephyr; the closest analogue which came to mind was trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle vertically with millions of pieces and each piece looked the same. It took patience and concentration to put everything back in its proper place.
Needless to say it was a rather delicate task, one the elemental was so focused on he nearly missed the redheads sudden squeak of surprise which was the only warning he received before she began to flail about like a frightened child with about as much affect. She had been chained to the table for a reason after all and that, combined with her concussion and overall fatigue meant that her struggles were token at best.
Still there was little point in letting the girl injure herself further and so the hessian shifted his grip over redheads injured arm, keeping it suspended in the ethereal state with his dominant hand while the other came to rest a few inches above her sternum. There it applied a steady invisible pressure across her collar bone, effectively pinning her shoulders to the table until she wore herself out.
“You’re really not in any condition to be moving Ms. Sinnocent” He told her with all the concern of a hangman at the gallows. “Do try to hold still and you’ll have your arm back in a few minutes, then I’ll see what I can do for the rest of you.”
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
A slight smirked tugged at the corner of the elementals lips even as the thought went unsaid. There was no need to be overly overt after all, not when the playful glimmer in the blonde’s eyes suggested her thoughts mirrored his own.
"I think we have a few bottles in the back, if that's what you want?"
Even as the words left her lips there was a subtle pause to the lilting French tones that the hessian almost missed, and would have if the girl hadn’t made it a point to tilt her head and give him a rather brazen once over as her gaze swept up and down.
Bemused at the sudden role reversal Zephyr remained silent, merely quirking an eyebrow as the gamine finished her evaluation. Barely a heartbeat later the ingénue seemed to have made up her mind for she introduced herself with a grin that was no less playful than before.
“A pleasure Charlotte, you can call me Oliver.”
He allowed the conversation to then stall for a moment as he adopted a thoughtful expression before eventually shaking his head and offering the soubrette a small smile. “I’m sorry, you seem familiar and I was just trying to place you, have you been to Sanctuary recently by any chance?”
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
History becomes folklore, folklore turns to fairytales, from fairytales we find bedtime stories.
“…the end.”
Glancing at his 'avid audience' a faint grin came to Simons lips as he placed the book away, sparing a moment to draw the blankets over his sleeping nephew before leaving the child to dream.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
The next hands came and went rather faster than the first; with the first three cards now revealed the other players were better able to gauge their odds and so the hessian wasn’t surprised in the least when seats began to empty as those who failed the luck of the draw went to seek their fortune elsewhere.
Granted the elemental wasn’t making it easy for them Oddly enough though there was one who seemed determined to stick with the game; the snow haired gamine he’d caught sight of earlier was doing a stirring impression of a pendulum with her bets each hand, her argus eyes measuring as they swept the table before she added one more chips.
By herself the girl had likely been responsible for more than half of those who’d left, and while it would bring the game to a quicker close it also reduced the potential size of the pot which was… annoying. Even more so because the ingénue actually had one of the better hands so far, though nothing was certain until the final community card was placed.
Still it irked him.
Weighing his own odds the hessian slid a single crimson chip towards the dealer even as he sent a dry glance at the barefoot girl across the table. “You know, while there is something to be said for whittling down the competition, some games are better played with a group.” of fools.
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Some might imagine that waking up to the gaze of Isabel Duskmoor, the city’s infamous bone bikini babe, would be the beginning of a very pleasant dream.
Which only goes to show that ignorance truly is bliss.
After taking a moment to gain his bearings and recall precisely what momentary insanity had prompted him to sleep anywhere near his homicidal protege, Zephyr sat up from the floor and gave the brunette an irritated, half-awake glare even as he worked to fix the bruises the girl had just given him with her unpleasant wake up call.
“Nap times over.” She began, stalking around to the foot of his now empty bed.
“Good morning to you as well Duskmoor.” Flashing a false grin at the soubrette to match his insincere tone he spent an unnecessary moment or two dusting himself off as he continued. “Yes I slept fine, thank you for asking, though I had the strangest dream where I save your life and you were utterly ungrateful. “
Pulling himself up from the floor the hessian rose to his full height and took a short step away from the bonemancer, retrieving and slipping his on his singed jacket before deigning to give the girl his full attention as he met her gaze without hesitation. “Let’s try to avoid making that dream a reality hmm?”
“I want out. Now”
Narrowing his eyes at the shapely soubrettes tone Zephyr was spared from replying immediately as Forte gave his own thoughts on the matter, most of which the elemental found himself agreeing with. Unfortunately, the brawlers suggestion had sounded almost like an order and just a quick glance at Duskmoor’s posture showed she was already set against it.
Compulsion or not, just telling Isabel to do something rarely worked out well. The girl had spent so long rebelling against any kind of authority she did it practically without thinking. No, if you wanted the brunette to do something you first forced her to use her much neglected brain, and you did that by giving her options. In doing so you gave her the illusion she was still free to choose her fate without realizing she’d already limited herself to the outcomes you deemed acceptable.
“Forte has a point, we want to stay under the radar for now until we know what we’re up against, which means Sanctuary isn’t an option. That being said we don’t need to stay here, however since I’ve managed to build us a small amount of goodwill I think we should take full advantage of what’s here first, or would the two of you rather not have a good meal and change of clothes before we leave?”
--
A short handful of minutes later Zephyr found himself leading both Forte and Isabel down one of the mansions more desolate corridors as he led the way to the kitchen while distracting them with idle bits of trivia, purposefully taking a more convoluted route to avoid busier sections of the school. Forte wasn’t the issue, for all that he enjoyed fighting the man knew better than to start something here. Duskmoor however was agitated enough as it was and Zephyr didn’t intend to risk her nerves around a gaggle of children.
Which was a problem because, in all honesty, the mansion was currently the best place for them. Granted the Sanctuary had a more infamous reputation when it came to holding its own, but at the end of the day Sanctuary’s security came from its mutant residents; people like Isabel, who’d been beaten within an inch of her life. The Mansion, on the other hand, had mutant residents who were, if not as violent as Sanctuary’s, at least more intelligent, and a security system that rivaled most military bases.
He’d just started mentally outlining an argument to try and get Isabel to see sense when he finally made it to the kitchen and almost immediately saw the cat.
It was stretched out lazily along the kitchen table, atop an unfolded newspaper that had been left out. Its striped tail twitching idly back and forth over the edge as its head slowly swept from left to right in a manner that left absolutely no doubt that it was, in fact, reading the funny pages.
‘…it can’t be this easy.’
Still it was too good an opportunity to pass up, and he’d only get one good shot. Deliberately slowing his steps the hessian allowed Isabel to draw closer just as they drew up to the table, and continued his semi-lecture. “..I think you’ll find that the kitchen here is at least on par with your own. First things first though we’ll need to clear off the table. Isabel, hold this.”
Without missing a beat the elemental deftly snatched the cat from the table by the scruff of its neck and placed it in Duskmoors arms before she or the cat knew what was happening. The sudden hissing and short lived shriek that followed told him all he needed to know.
Resting against the wall with his arms folded Zephyr let Isabel tell her tale without interruption. The girl wasn’t a raconteur by any means but she stated the facts, and knowing what he did it was none too difficult to read between the lines and hear what she didn’t say.
A mutant that could transfer injuries and another that could grant fears a corporeal form? The former was bad enough given that Duskmoor was a melee fighter but the latter… He closed his eyes and held back a sigh. It wouldn’t have been a fight so much as a one sided slaughter. Whoever had sent the pair knew what they were doing. The girl was lucky to be alive.
A fact she didn’t seem to appreciate given how much of a nuisance she was making herself for the doctor. He shot the soubrette a mild glare of annoyance, but before he could actually say anything Docprof somehow managed to get hold of her ear and firmly began tugging the brunette back to his side like an unruly child, a look of stern disapproval on his face as she cursed up a storm.
“Tsk tsk, manner Isabel.” He chided, just barely keeping a smirk from his face. He wasn’t overly concerned for the old fossils welfare; if she hadn’t stabbed the man on reflex then she wasn’t going to try it when he could see her. “Children live here after all.”
Entertaining diversion though it was, Isabel’s discomfort didn’t capture their attention for long and Forte related his own tale. From what Zephyr could recall the man was something of a brawler like Isabel; strength, speed and concussive blasts were the primary focus of his mutation. Pitting one against opponents who could hit harder or faster was an old yet effective tactic, but there were ways of dealing of dealing with purely physical mutations. Strength was nothing without leverage after all.
By the time Forte had finished the doctor had finished his ministrations and left with little more than a terse goodnight, leaving Zephyr to tell his own version of events.
“The pair I met weren’t considerate enough to give their names. One was an older Asian man with a beard, suit and trench coat straight from a bad Hollywood film. His power is similar to an adapteds but not quite. He disrupts your control somehow; when he focused on me my power simply didn’t work half the time, and when it didn’t it wasn’t as intended. That being said, he seems to need line of sight if you can hide or blind him somehow he shouldn’t be an issue.”
“The other was a young blonde women not much older than you are Isabel. She dressed like she was in church and acted like a hooker from the 1950’s. Her power is similar to mine but she works with water and seems to be able to sense it in human body’s or else has another means of fighting while blind.”
Seeing that the two seemed to be expecting more the elemental shrugged his shoulders and continued. “There isn’t much more to tell, I met the pair of them in a subway station. When I realized what they could do I took out the lights and left on the first train that came by.”
Pushing off from the wall the elemental shed his jacket and laced it on the back of a chair before making his way towards one of the unoccupied beds and seating himself with a sigh. “We’ve all had… eventful evenings,” He began, glancing from Forte and Isabel, “But there’s still a number of hours until sunrise and we’re all tired.” He placed just the slightest emphasis on the last few word and saw Isabel’s shoulders slump just slightly as she blinked her eyes in sudden weariness.
“Outside of a bank vault this place is perhaps one of the most secure places in the city. We should rest while we can otherwise we’ll simply –“ He paused to give a yawn that wasn’t entirely feigned , “Fall asleep,” he continued, feeling no small amount of relief as he watched Isabel sink into her bed out of the corner of his eye. “…when we try to discuss this later today.”
“We’ll deal with everything when we wake up.”
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Standing just a foot or so away Zephyr regarded the old man before him with a cold gaze as he resisted the urge to loom over the ancient oak desk between them. He’d met enough stubborn old fools over the years to be able to recognize them; any hint of intimidation and the walking fossil would set his mind firmer than cement. Not that he’d be able to be able to manage it looking as though he’d lost a fight with a lightning bolt in the middle of a monsoon, still he needed to tread carefully.
“For a man who’s taken the Hippocratic Oath I thought you’d care a little more about your patients welfare.”
Careful was not the same as polite.
The subtle sound of pen across paper barely even paused as DocProf, the Mansions lead healer, glanced up from the illegible notes he’d been jotting down and met the hessians gaze without hesitation even as an almost invisible frown appeared on his aged features. “You know as well as I do what that girl is capable of; I have a duty of care to all those living here and I will not jeopardize that. So no, I have not healed her completely, but she is stable and with a week of bed rest she will be back to full heath.”
“Odd, I thought the institution here was about ‘positive development’, ‘harnessing the potential of promising individuals for a brighter future no matter their background.’ If that’s not a second chance I don’t know what is, or should I keep quoting the brochure?” It was funny really, when Maya had dropped off all that literature a week’s back she’d been trying to convince him to apply for a position and he was likely now ruining whatever employment prospect he may have had.
Such a pity really, still needs must. He was certain they’d find someone with the patience to deal with a horde of overpowered, unthinking, jejune adolescents. Perhaps a saint or two, they’d supposedly enrolled a necromancer not too long ago after all.
By the time Zephyr talked the ‘DocProf’ round into finishing what he’d started, Duskmoor had already managed to rouse herself. The elemental had felt her jolt upright even rooms away and knowing whom he’d left her with he’d cut his conversation short and left the doctor to follow as he strode back to the room, arriving just in time to catch the tail end of Forte’s question.
“I imagine the same thing that happened to you Forte.” He answered simply as he took up a spot against a wall between the two Sanctuary residents. “In fact I believe the three of us, and perhaps a few others, have had eerily similar evenings.”
It was this point that DocProf managed to catch up, stopping a few feet away from Isabels bed, giving the girl a politely neutral expression that all angry or annoyed medical professionals managed so well.
“Now Isabel, the good doctor here has agreed to finish healing you with the understanding that you will behave yourself as long as you are here. So nod your head and tell him you’ll be good so we can move on.” He made the command sound as casual as possible but still made sure to hold the soubrettes gaze until she acquiesced. Enforcing the compulsion was perhaps a tad excessive but now was not the time for the brunettes habitual stubbornness.
As the healer got to work Zephyr continued, “While I’m sure we’ve had an unpleasant hour or two I think it would be best to talk over what happened. Isabel why don’t you start? If my suspicions are correct you would have had two attackers. You needn’t go into specifics but if you could tell us their abilities and tactics that would be helpful."
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
It had taken him under an hour to reach central park. More spirit than flesh he’d flown straight from the site of his own ‘death’ to the base of a blood stained tree. Duskmoors message had been fragmented, choked by fear and pain yet the crux of her words had been a clear cry for help.
Isabel never asked for help.
A multitude of scenarios had passed through the elementals mind as he’d raced through neon lit and smog filled skies. Thoughts of those suicidal enough to try and fight the homicidal soubrette, those who were actually capable of taking her down and finally those who were cruel or determined enough to try and break her.
All three lists were rather too long for his tastes, but then again enemies were part and parcel of the life Isabel had been living the past few years. The most likely candidates were the Russian or Italian mobs but he swiftly discarded the thought; he could deal with the ‘who’ after he found out precisely ‘what’ state Duskmoor was in.
Fortunately, whether by luck or sheer boneheaded stubbornness, Isabel’s potential demise proved as premature as his own when he found her barely conscious yet still breathing at the foot of a tree painted crimson from her torn and shredded flesh. Bone white stiches sealed the largest of the lacerations but even so the unnaturally pale tone of her skin betrayed just how much blood she’d lost.
She needed a healer, not a doctor; conventional medicine wouldn’t be fast enough. No, the girl needed mutant healing which meant one of two places. The first option was Sanctuary; the Order always had a handful of healers in residence, willingly or otherwise, to try and increase the life expectancy of its members. It was the ideal solution and the most predictable course of action.
Given that attempts had just been made on both their lives, Zephyr found he wasn’t overly fond of being predictable.
It's not paranoia if they're actually out to get you.
The second option then, was the ‘Xavier’s Sister School for Gifted Youngsters’, colloquially known as the ‘Mansion’. It acted as both school and boot camp for those who were more than human and acted as the base of operations for the vaunted X-men who generally opposed the Order whenever they could, out of principal if nothing else, though the Order wasn’t much better.
Under normal circumstances he wouldn’t have taken Isabel within 20 miles of the Mansion, she was too well known and being seen in her presence would only lead to inconvenient questions. Still, he had connections there; favours could be called on or made that would get him in the door if nothing else. And once inside they wouldn’t be able to refuse Duskmoor treatment without losing the moral high ground which they couldn’t afford, such was the price of their politics.
They say pain is good. That it serves as both warning of danger and a reminder that you yet live. They say it is only when the pain suddenly begins to fade that you need to worry, because it means that your body has begun to fail and time is running short.
As the train at last ground to a halt with a final screech of metal on metal Zephyr reflected, not for the first time, that he rather enjoyed being the exception to the rule as what was left of his body began to fade into a faint mist, taking the pain with it.
Being run down by the train hadn’t been his preferred method of escape, but it had been an option. Granted he hadn’t planned on being electrocuted when he was run down but it hadn’t changed much in the grand scheme things. He’d simply taken a little more… collateral damage.
‘Ruptured lung caused by cracked ribs, damaged liver and kidney not to mention the broken neck and shattered spine…’ The list kept growing as the hessian started the tedious process of pulling himself back together.
Healing in the ethereal state was like working on a jigsaw puzzle, one with more pieces than a phonebook had names and only a blurred black and white photo to work from. It was difficult yes, but not impossible, more importantly though it required patience not power; though the latter would certainly help. It would take time, more than he wanted to admit, but now that he was ‘dead’ time was something he could afford-
‘bzzzzt bzzzzt’
The sudden buzz broke the hessian from his thoughts, bringing him back to the present as he cast about for the source noise, pausing when he realized that, against all odds, his phone had fared far better against the train than he had and was currently stirring up minute clouds of dust as it trembled amongst the gravel beneath the tracks.
Intangible as he was there was little the elemental could do, he couldn’t answer the device or even turn it off. Yet even when it fell silent a moment later a combination of curiosity and doubt tugged at his thoughts. Very few people had that number, and even fewer would try to call him after midnight for anything less than emergency and the only one who’d try that-
Against his better judgment Zephyr allow one of his hands to reform and went to voicemail.
“Promises promises.” Zephyr chided her with wry amusement as the girl slowly sat up; pulling herself into the fetal position before glaring at him over her knees, face still more than lightly flushed. “Keep talking like that and I might think you actually enjoyed yourself.”
Smirking slightly as the soubrette muttered under breath the hessians flicked his eyes upwards briefly before pushing off the cargo crate and taking a few short steps to the right just the brunette’s discarded boot fell through the space he’d vacated. A simple snap of the elementals fingers caused the boot to halt in free fall for a moment before floating towards its owner and letting gravity finishes its business.
“Still I believe we’re done for today. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.”
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Granted, grand displays of force and dramatic threats are all well and good on the silver screen where one has an audience to entertain and captivate, but in the real world such a blatant misuse of time and focus would likely only get you killed if you were dealing with any kind of competent opponent.
In short it was a gamble, and in a battle to the death it could only be justified under two conditions. The first was that you’d already won; your opponent was dead or dying and you were making it a point to be as ruthless as possible so any spectators would pass the story on and discourage any other hopeful killers. Reputation could be a defense just as effective as Kevlar or bone armor after all and it could take a great deal less effort.
The second justifiable option for posturing was that you were buying time. You were trying to make use of whatever reputation you had to give your attacker pause, or even scare them off entirely, because at that moment you knew you didn’t have a chance. In short you were bluffing, and unfortunately that was precisely what Zephyr was doing.
Either one of them he could have taken alone without batting an eye, but together and with the element of surprise, it had taken almost everything he’d had to break free and it felt as though he’d just run a marathon up a mountain.
Two minutes -maybe even one- was all he needed to catch his breath and deal with Ariel and Fu Manchu, but a minute is far longer than most people realize and without his power the hessian knew he’d be lucky to last ten seconds.
So he’d cut the lights, nearly emptying his gun to take out as many lights as possible and using the combination of darkness and gunfire to make his attackers pause while he’d dragged himself towards the cool breeze at the edge of the empty platform and played the part of outraged movie villain to the hilt.
And it had worked, the two of them had stopped and for a moment they actually seemed to reconsider their plan, their voices clearly reaching him across the station with what little power he had left.
“…Willing to bet our lives on that?"
‘That’s right, fall back and regroup.’ The thought brought a grim smile to Zephyr’s lips. ‘I’m more than you can handle…’
"I'm willing to try failing then flee. Besides; the best way to counter a bluff-”
‘Fuck’
Snapping his arm up to try and squeeze off one last shot before the blonde bitch made her move Zephyr already knew he was out of time. He could already feel the floor shaking as another surge of water speared towards him, and with no time to aim he fired as soon as he had the gun in her general direction. The first shot went wide, but the hessian felt an all too brief moment of satisfaction when the second struck the lethal naiads shield right between the eyes-
Then there was pain; skin bone and muscle all seeming to scream at once as the electrical current tore through him and throwing his body into uncontrolled seizures, a sudden growing light stripping away the cover of darkness as he writhed and thrashed across the floor before he inevitably fell off the edge of the platform.
Even as Isabel tried to jostle him and stated her sheer stubborn determination to win, Zephyr couldn’t prevent his smirk from growing for he’d already achieved one notable victory. He’d been trying for weeks to persuade the guileless gamine that she needed to start manifesting her armor over her attire; if he’d known it was this easy he’d have made the threat far sooner.
That being said, Duskmoor’s next move did manage to catch him somewhat off guard, though in hindsight he shouldn’t have been surprised. Whether she’d originally intended to blind him or had actually been trying to tear the jacket off him in retaliation the elemental couldn’t say but the end result was likely less than dignified .
Pity really; she’d just started making progress. Honestly a part of him was tempted to call the girl out for her jejune behavior but he was hardly in a position to be throwing stones himself. Perhaps a more adult tone was needed?
Then again, why break a winning combination.
Despite what certain posters would have some believe, Duskmoors armor wasn’t actually skin tight; a thin layer of air separated a good deal of the shapely soubrettes flesh from the living shell she wove around herself. It was a minor point, but one Zephyr intended to capitalize on.
“Stubborn as always, is one little word really so much to ask? Still if that’s the way you want to play let’s see how long you can last shall we?” The elementals words snaked across the short distance straight into the brunettes ears as though he were whispering right beside her. It was likely the last thing she heard before the quiet caress of air against her skin suddenly started moving with a concerted purpose that soon left the buxom brunette a breathless and writhing as she struggled in vain to escape the almost feather like strokes.
--
Leaning against one of the cargo crates scattered across the warehouse Zephyr idly tossed Isabel‘s helmet into the air, an all too evident smirk on his features as he waited for the soubrette to recover.
Credit where credit was due, the girl was remarkably stubborn; she’d been on the verge of passing out several times before she’d finally given in, and if she hadn’t discarded her armor after the first ten minutes she likely would have. Even now she was still half comatose; her eyes more closed than open as she lay on cold cement floor soaked in sweat, her clothes plastered to her skin clearly showing the rise and fall of her chest as her lungs fought for air.
When Isabel at last managed to open her eyes and cast a bleary glance at her surrounding the hessian stopped tossing the girls helmet and favoured her with a mock salute. “Welcome back," He greeted as he caught her eye. "I always seem to underestimate just how stubborn you can be. Tell me though, was it worth it?”
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
Hanging upside was not as pleasant a position as the world of comics would have you believe. The human form developed the way it did for a reason after all, and by turning matters on its head, the body is forced to work over time to maintain stasis. Still, in the short term it is simply a slight inconvenience, and after dealing with Duskmoor for so long the elemental was more than capable of coping.
"You might look better like this than you did all smooshed up against the wall,"
Especially when she gave him such golden opportunities.
Purposefully holding the bound brunettes gaze for a few silent seconds, as a small smirk gradually worked its way onto the hessians face before he spoke. “Why I’m flattered Isabel; if I’d known you found me so appealing I would have let you catch me long ago.”
Pausing for a moment as he pretended to think something over Zephyr tilted his head to one side and fought back a frown; taunting the soubrette wasn’t nearly so entertaining when he couldn’t see her reactions and the girl had been laughing so much that the visor of her helmet was almost completely fogged.
Fortunately all it took was a slight, almost insubstantial, pressure to lift the clear section of plastic out of the way. “Better?” He asked without waiting for a response. “If you let me down I can take it off for you, or I can keep me hanging around and I’ll-“
"Go ahead. And when you do, it's gonna be your own damn fault if I can't hold you up there anymore and you get tossed around like a sack of potatoes."
Annoyed yet also amused by the gamines interruption Zephyr spent a moment debating with himself before settling on a look of smug amusement before he spoke again. “As I was saying, you can me let down and I’ll take your helmet off or…”
Duskmoor left boot, which had been quietly unlacing itself for the past several seconds finally finished the last knot and slipped itself free of her foot before floating up into the rafters.
“…I can take off something else entirely, your choice.”
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
A handful of seconds doesn’t sound like a lot but that’s a common misconception. If you stop and think about it there’s a great deal that can be done in the space between one breath and the next. A fist can fly in the blink of an eye, and a homerun can be swung if one is spry. Throwing on a shirt takes only a moment or two, as does leaving a message to say adieu. Tying your shoelaces requires five seconds at best and it takes even less to get undressed.
‘Yes, there’s a good deal you can do with but a moment or two.‘ The thought brought a wry grin to Zephyr’s lips that even the sudden deluge of icy needles couldn’t remove as he reached into his jacket despite his aching ribs and, with an almost lazy gesture, drew a faded silver berretta from its holster and aimed across the station at the Chinese swordsman just as the ground shook and the surrounding dust was washed from the air.
‘BANG’
In such a confined space the crack of the bullet itself almost had a physical force at it parted the air and shot towards its target, coming within inches of the man’s ear before burying itself in the opposing wall even as a short curse left the elemental lips.
Still the shot had been at least partially effective as it prompted the matrix dropout to take cover behind a pillar, granting the hessian several more precious seconds to raise him aim and destroy the lights directly above him, casting his section of the station in darkness just as a living whip of water sliced into the shadows.
A cold chuckle echoed through the station.
“I don’t know who the hell you think I am but you’re in so far over your heads even the worms are looking down on you.”
Another gunshot cracked through the air as one more light shattered into a shower of sparks and died.
“I hope you like the dark. It will be the last thing you see.”
Cafas: "Zephyr is the king of bad decisions, but if Sebby being weak to ghost is anything to go by, not so amazing at follow through."
